Means for starting arc-lamps.



G. M. LIT-TLB. MEANS FOR STARTING ABG LAMPS. PPLIUATION FILED MA1 6, 1907. 91 7,778, Patented Apr. l", 1909.

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esoneri n. LITTLE, on rrrrsnuao, PENNSYLVANIA, AssiGNon To WESTINGHOUSE ELEO- Tnic a iirinniicrnaixc COMPANY, A oonronATioN oF PENNSYLVANIA. K

FOR STRTING ARC-LAMPS.

Application filed '1i-lay 6, 1907.

T01 all whom it 'ma/j concern:

Beit lgnown that l, Gnonen M. LITTLE, a citizen oi the United States7 and a resident of Pittsburg, in the county olrlllegheny and State of' Fennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Means for Start- -ing Arc-Lamps, of which the 'following is a specification.

this result have been actuated inechanically the travel My invention relates to arc lamps, and particularly to those inwhich bodies of slag i'orm upon the electrodes and sometimes cause ditliculty in starting of the arc'.

rl"he Object of my invention is to provide means for causing movement ol the electrodcs of arc lamps into and out of engagement for the purpose of "removing the slag that fuses thereon, said means being actuated independently of the movement of the cleo i trodes and of the feeding mehanism and being consequently more ctlective and reliable in operation than means that have been employed heretofore.

Arc lamps are new frequently provided with electrodes containing materials that render the same less readily consumable and capable of producing arcs ol greater luminosityT than ordinary carbons,one suitable comosition comprising the magnetic oXid of' iron (FeO) as the predominant constituent, which gives conductivity to the electrodes both when hot and when cold, chromium OXid (C192), which, by reason of its very high fusing point, in preventing rapid consumption of the electrodes and flickering of' the arc, and titanium oXid (T102), orsome other compound ofltitamum,

which imparts color and brilliancy to the arc and also assists in prolonging the life, olE the electrodes. ln lthe use of such electrodes, bodies oi insulating slag, composed largely oit non-conducting` oxid, sometimes form upon the. electrodes and interfere `with ready establishment of the are by preventing; goed electrical contact between the elec :odes

when the same are brought into engagement for the purpose of starting the. arc. ln order to insure suiliciently goed electrical contact between the electrodes to permit oi readyP starting of the are, it has beenl proposed m remove the slag from the ends of the electrodes by' causing rapid movement tliereotl into and out of engagement until the arc is established. The means' that have heretofore been provided, however, for effecting I Specification of Letters Patent.`

l i l if l l j terminal 17 and to a bracket or Patented April 1s, 1909;

Serial No. 372,180.

and directly by the feeding mechanism ofthe which the invention is embodied, and Fig. 3

is a similar view of a modification of the circuits of Fig. 2.

Electrodes 1 and 2 of an arc lamp, either or both of which may be composed of the oxids above specified, or of other suitable materials, are maintained:normally out of' engagement by means of a ring clutch 3 that supports the electrode 1. The clutch 3 is pivoted to the lower end of a rod 4 thatis attached at its upper end to a U-shaped' electro-magnet core 5 having a winding 6, the said parts being f normally maintained in the position shown, by means of a spring 7i l Gne terminal of the winding 6 is connected to a switch member 8 that cooperates with anothermember 9, and is actuated by an electromagnet having a Winding 10, the respective terminals of which are connected to the electrodes l and 2. The switch member 9 is connected to the terminal 12 of the lamp, and is actuated by an electro-magnet having a winding 1.1 that is included in the series with electrodes 1. and 2 between terminals 12 and 13 of the lamp. included in series with the winding 8 is a resistance 1-l and an actuating magnet Winding` 15 for a switch that governs a'circuit in shunt to lhe winding 6 and com )rises a staf tionary terminal 1G and a mova )le terminal 17. rlhe .terminal 17 is carried at the free end ei" a lever 18, the operation of which is retarded by a dash-pot the respective meinbers 1) and 2O of which are pivotally lat. taehed to the end of the lever 1S o posite the ase 21 for the switch mechanism. ing` 15 is provided with an armature 22 that normally occupies the position shown and is pivotally connected, by means of a rod 23, to the lover 1 8. An adjustable stop for limitin of the magnet core 22 is provided The magnet wind- Y -order to introduce resiliency between the lever and its fulcrum, and to thus prevent chattering between the terminal members 16 and 17 and insure goed electrical contactbey tween them, a spring28 is secured to the upper side of the lever and projects between it and the stop 26'. ,K Since the terminal vmembers 8 and 9.are

- normally in engagement, when the lamp is fere with the establishment of the arc.

started, a circuit is established by' way of devices bearing reference characters 13, 16, 15,

14, 6, 8, 9, and 12. The magnet winding 6', being thus energized, causes downward movement 'of thecore 5 and of theelectrode 41, the latter being thus caused to engage the electrode 2. The presence of insulating slag upon the electrodes may introduce sufficient resistance between them to prevent or inter- The magnet winding 15, however, is energized simultaneously with the winding 6 and the core 22 will exert an upward pressure upon the' lever 18, which is slowly rotated about the stop or ulcrum 26 until the terminal members 16 :vid 17 are caused to engage, a delay in this movement being caused by the dash-pot 19-20.

When the terminal members 16 and 17 en gage the resistance 14 and the magnet windings 6 and 15 are shunted, the result being that the magnet core 5 and the attached parts are raised by means of the spring 7 and the electrodes are separated. r1`he core 22 of the magnet winding 15 is also released and drops to the position shown in Fig. 1. The terminal members 16 and 17, however, remain in engagement until separated by the rotation of the lever 18 about the point of at tachment of the-rod 23 thereto, the said ro tary'movement being caused by the weight of the memberlQ of the dash-pot. The dash-pot may or may not serve to retard this movement, as desired. z

l Upon separation of the terminal members 16 and 17, the magnet windings 6 andV 15 again become energized andthe electrode 1 will be again moved intoV engagement. with the electrode 2, and, if an are is not estab- A lished by the time the members 16 andV 17 are caused to engage, the electrodes will again ',separate, andthe operation will continue as 'describedr until the insulating slag is crackedand removed from the electrodes so as to ermit of sufliciently goed electrical contact 'G5 betweeny them to enable starting of the arc.

When the arc is established, the winding 1 1 becomes energized and separates terminal members 8 and 9 so as to interrupt the circuits et the windings 6 and 15 and cause separation of the electrodes. The lamp will then continue in operation until feeding of l the electrode becomes necessary, the feeding operation being caused when the drop of potential between the electrodes increases and causes the magnet windingy 1() to become sufficiently energized to raise the terminal i 'and 17 are in engagement.

I claim as my invention: l

1. The combination with coperating stationary and movable terminal members, of a lever carrying the movable member, an electro-magnet `for actuating the lever to cause the terminal members to engage, the said electro-magnet having an armature pivotally secured thereto, a stop located between the movable terminal member and the point of attachment of the electro-magnet armature ,to the lever, resilient means interposed between the lever and the stop, and means for delaying approach of theterminal members. 2. The combination with cooperating stationary and movable terminal members, of a lever carrying the movable member.' at one end,; a retarding device connected to the other endoic the lever, an electro-magnet for actuating the lever to cause the terminal members ,to engage, the said eleetro-magnet having an armature ivotally attached to an intermediate point o the lever, a stop located between the movable terminal member and the oint of attachment of the armature to the liever, and resilient means interposed bctween the sto and the'lever. I

3. The com ination with cooperating stationary and movable terminal members, of a I lever carrying the movable member at one end, a retardin device' connected to the other end of the lever, an electro-magnet for actuating the, lever to cause the terminal members to engage, the said electro-magnet having an armature pivotally attached, to an intermediate point of. the lever and a stop located between the movable terminal member and the l oint of attachment of the ar1nature to the ever.

. 4. In an arc lamp, 'the combination with electrodes, of means com rismg an elcctromagnet for moving the e eetrodes into` and out of engagement, and a switch forgovern- 1 terminal member and the peint of attaching a. shunt for the said winding, se1d switch I ment of the arma-ture te the lever and resiliemnprismg a lever carrying the movable l ent means interposed between the step and member' atene end, a retarding device centhe lever.

5 Anected to the other end of the lever, en elec- In testimony Whereehl have hereunto suhlf:- tro-maignet for actuating the lever to cause scribed mynzune this 30th lay et April, 1907. the terminal inernbersto engage, the said l GEORGE M. lillTl'ilQ. electro-magnet having en armature pivotally Witnesses:

' attached to an intermediate point ofthe OTTO S. SCIIAIRER, 10 lever, a stop located between the movable l BrRNnY HINES. 

